Shelf and shelf assembly

ABSTRACT

An expandable shelf comprising a male member and a female member which are slidingly engaged, each of the members having longitudinal and transverse axes and each being divided into at least two corresponding sections along the transverse axis. Adjacent sections of the male member are separated by a groove parallel to the longitudinal axis, the male member comprising a row of spaced teeth extending from each section into the adjoining groove, the teeth of one section being aligned with the teeth of the adjacent section, each of two adjoining teeth defining a slot therebetween. The female member has an upper wall and has an aperture in the upper wall positioned above the groove when the male and female members are engaged. Also disclosed are a shelf assembly and a method for mounting a shelf onto a shelf assembly.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This invention relates to shelves made of plastic and their mounting.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Modular shelving systems have become very popular. In particular, shelving systems comprising primarily plastic components have found wide use in the home environment, due to their lightweightness, low cost and durability. Important features of such systems include versatility and adaptability to various space constraints. For example, many houses have one or more niches of varying dimensions. It would be desirable to have a modular shelving system which could provide a shelf having an adjustable length which could maximally occupy niches of varying widths.

[0003] Telescopic shelves are known in the art.

[0004] U.S. Pat. No. 4,025,137 discloses terraced telescopic storage shelves, consisting of two telescoping sidepieces, one being slightly smaller than the other. In one embodiment, an elongated slot is provided in the back of each of the sidepieces which are secured one to the other by securing means inserted therein.

[0005] U.S. Pat. No. 5,979,118 discloses an expandable and contractible workstation. The workstation includes in line shelves which are telescopically adjustable and a two-way telescoping corner shelf construction.

[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 6,079,803 discloses a closet organization system and a method for its installation. The system includes an adjustable shelving apparatus comprising two corresponding members which are slidably engaged by having posts of one member occupying corresponding slots of the other member.

[0007] One of the requirements of a modular shelving system is ease of assembly and disassembly. In particular, it should be fairly simple to mount and remove the shelves without an excessive amount of screwing and bolting. On the other hand, the shelf once in place must be stably attached to the shelving framework.

[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 5,002,248 discloses a shelf and mounting assembly in which the shelves are suspended between brackets by telescopic connectors. The mounting connectors preferably have a steel core and a polymeric jacket.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009] It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel expandable shelf.

[0010] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a novel method for mounting a shelf.

[0011] In a first aspect of the invention, there is provided an expandable shelf comprising a male member and a female member which are slidingly engaged, each of the members having longitudinal and transverse axes and each being divided into at least two corresponding sections along the transverse axis. Adjacent sections of the male member are separated by a groove parallel to the longitudinal axis, the male member comprising a row of spaced teeth extending from each section into the adjoining groove, the teeth of one section being aligned with the teeth of the adjacent section, each of two adjoining teeth defining a slot therebetween. The female member has an upper wall and has an aperture in the upper wall positioned above the groove when the male and female members are engaged.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment, the shelf further comprises a rivet having a shank, the shank having a width, the width of the shank being substantially equivalent to the length of the slot of the male member, wherein when the male and female members are engaged, the rivet is inserted into the aperture of the female member occupying two aligned slots of adjoining sections of the male member, thereby fixing the members one to the other.

[0013] The shelf of the invention is easily expanded and contracted to provide shelves of varying lengthwise dimensions. The desired length is simply fixed by the insertion of a limited number of rivets. In a preferred embodiment, the members of the self have 3 sections each. The shelf is preferably made of plastic materials.

[0014] In a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a shelf assembly comprising:

[0015] (a) two parallel upright members having sides facing each other;

[0016] (b) a support member fixed to each of the upright members on their facing sides, the support members being positioned opposite each other; and

[0017] (c) a shelf having lateral ends with edges adapted to slidingly engage the support members.

[0018] The shelf assembly of the invention allows the shelf to be easily mounted without screw or bolts, while at the same time firmly supporting the shelf.

[0019] In a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for mounting a shelf onto a shelf assembly, as defined above, the method comprising sliding the shelf onto the support members between the upright members.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] In order to understand the invention and to see how it may be carried out in practice, a preferred embodiment will now be described, by way of non-limiting example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0021]FIG. 1 is a perspective top view of one embodiment of a shelf according to the first aspect of the invention;

[0022]FIG. 2 is a front end view of the female member of the shelf;

[0023]FIG. 3 is a front end view of the male member of the shelf;

[0024]FIG. 4 is a top perspective view of a detail of the shelf prior to insertion of the rivet;

[0025]FIG. 5 is a top view of the groove of the male member with an inserted rivet;

[0026]FIGS. 6 & 7 are cut-away perspective views of the shelf prior to (FIG. 6) and after (FIG. 7) insertion of the rivet;

[0027]FIG. 8 is a perspective back view of one embodiment of the shelf assembly of the invention;

[0028]FIG. 9 is a perspective side view of one embodiment of a support member according to the invention;

[0029]FIG. 10 is a partial perspective view of the shelf assembly;

[0030]FIG. 11 is a perspective top view of one embodiment of a shelf according to the invention;

[0031]FIG. 12 is a partial view of the shelf;

[0032]FIG. 13 illustrates mounting of the shelf on the shelf assembly; and

[0033]FIG. 14 is a partial sectional side view of the mounted shelf.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0034] One embodiment of a shelf according to the first aspect of the invention is illustrated in FIG. 1. The shelf, generally designated 2, comprises a male member 4 and a female member 6. The male member 4 is divided along its transverse axis into at least two parallel sections 8 (in the illustrated embodiment there are three sections) separated by grooves 10 being in parallel to the longitudinal axis of the member. Each section 8 is in the form of a generally rectangularly shaped leg having a distal 12 and proximal 14 end. The shape of the legs may diverge somewhat from a strict rectangle in accordance with manufacturing constraints, as is well known to the skilled man of the art. The distal ends 12 of the individual sections are fused together to form a single end 16 of the male member, while the proximal ends of the sections are separated by the grooves 10.

[0035] The female member 6 is also divided along its transverse axis into a plurality of parallel hollow sections 18 (in the illustrated embodiment there are three sections) which correspond to the sections 8 of the male member. Unlike in the male member, the sections 18 of the female member are contiguous, and adjacent sections are separated by a common wall (shown in FIG. 2). The female member also has a distal 22 and a proximal end 20 and has an upper wall 24 containing two apertures 26 positioned near the distal end. Each aperture is positioned above the common wall between adjacent sections and the wall is excised at the location below the aperture, as will be described in more detail below. The upper wall of the female member also contains a number of openings 28 for the egress of air from the interior of the sections 18 in order to facilitate the insertion of the male member.

[0036] As can be seen in FIG. 1, the sections 8 of the male member may be slid into the corresponding sections 18 of the female member. This requires that the surface dimensions of the male sections, i.e. width and height, be slightly smaller than the respective inner dimensions of the female sections, so that there is slight contact between the sections or even a small gap. However, the dimensions of the male sections should not be so small that there is a large gap between the male and female sections, allowing substantial movement of the male section within the female section. The common wall of the female member enters the groove 10 of the male member, as will be more clearly described below. Two rivets 30 are inserted into the apertures 26 so as to fix the female and male members, as will be explained in more detail below.

[0037] The parts of the shelf are preferably made of substantially rigid plastic materials, such as for example PP, ABS and PC.

[0038] The female member 6 is shown in more detail in FIG. 2, in which can be seen the three hollow sections 18, adjacent sections being separated by a common wall 32, and the upper wall 24. It can also be seen that the sections are not strictly rectangular in shape, but may have rounded edges 34 or diagonal side walls 36.

[0039]FIG. 3 shows the male member 4 comprising three sections 8 separated by grooves 10. In this embodiment the male sections are also hollow, so as to reduce the weight and cost of the shelf. However, this is not a requirement. The end 16 of the male member may be seen in the background of the figure.

[0040] The manner in which the male and female members are engaged is illustrated in FIG. 4, which shows a rivet 30 prior to insertion into the aperture 26 in the upper wall of the female member 6. The rivet comprises a head 38 and a shank 40 having two arms in the form of an inverted V The rivet has an elastic structure so that the arms may converge to a certain extent and then return to their former position. The sections 8 of the male member 4 are slidingly inserted into the sections 18 of the female member, and the common wall 32 of the female member occupies the groove 10 of the male member. The common wall is excised under the aperture 26.

[0041] Within the groove 10 of the male member may be seen a row of spaced teeth 42 which extend from the walls of the section bordering the groove. The teeth 42 of each section are aligned with the teeth 42 a of the adjacent section. Each of two adjoining teeth define a slot 44 therebetween. The width 46 of the shank 40 is substantially equivalent to the length of the slot 44 so that, with reference also to FIG. 5, it may be seen that the rivet 30 may be inserted through the aperture 26 in-between two adjacent teeth 46 & 48 and 46 a & 48 a of two adjoining male sections, thereby preventing the male member from becoming disengaged from the female member.

[0042] The placement of the rivet is more clearly illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7. In FIG. 6 the rivet 30, having two arms 50, has not yet been inserted through the aperture 26 in the upper wall 24 of the female member. The common wall 32 separating the female sections occupies the groove 10 separating the male sections 8, but is cut away below the aperture to allow space for insertion of the rivet. The teeth 42 extend from the walls of the male sections 8 into the groove 10. In FIG. 7, the rivet 30 is inserted through the aperture with the arms 50 of the rivet occupying the slots 44 in front of the teeth 42, thereby fixing the members one to the other. By sliding the male member deeper or shallower into the female member, the length of the shelf may be varied as desired.

[0043] One embodiment of the second aspect of the invention is illustrated in FIG. 8 which shows a shelf assembly, generally designated 100. The shelf assembly comprises two parallel upright members 102, support members 104 fixed to each upright member (only one support member is shown in the figure), and a shelf 106 being mounted onto the shelf assembly.

[0044] The upright members 102 will generally be partitions or walls, although poles or beams may also be used. Two parallel facing upright members are required for supporting the shelf 106. Each upright member has a side 108 which faces the other upright member. Securing means such as holes 110 for screws, or hooks are located along the length of the upright member on its facing side for enabling the support members 104 to be fixed thereto opposite each other at any desired height. The upright members may be adapted to be integrated into a modular shelving or closet system, as is well known in the art. The shelf 106 is mounted onto the shelf assembly by sliding it onto the support members, as is described in detail below.

[0045] The support member is shown in more detail in FIG. 9. It has a longitudinal axis 112 and comprises a central body 118 and upper 114 and lower 116 tracks attached above and below the body, respectively, in parallel to the longitudinal axis Upper 114 a and lower 116 a ribs protrude from the body 118 below and above the upper and lower tracks, respectively, and proximate to them. The tracks are U-shaped and each, respectively, ends in a protruding shoulder 114 b and 116 b which is parallel to the body 118 and spaced from it. Thus, the tracks together with the body form a T-slot structure. The body of the support member also has attachment holes 120 through which bolts may be placed to attach the support member to the upright member.

[0046]FIG. 10 shows the support member 104 fixed to the upright member 102 by means of a fastener 122 placed through the attachment hole 120. The use of such fasteners makes the attachment and removal of the support member very simple.

[0047] One embodiment of a shelf according to the invention is illustrated in FIGS. 11 and 12. The shelf 106 has an upper 124 and a lower 126 surface and two lateral ends 128. Each of the lateral ends has an upper edge 130 which perpendicularly protrudes above the upper surface 124 of the shelf and a lower edge 132 which perpendicularly protrudes below the lower surface 126. Thus, the lateral end together with the protruding edges forms a T-structure which fits into the T-slot of the supporting member. FIG. 12 also shows a supporting wall 134 which extends between the upper and lower surfaces and increases the structural strength of the shelf.

[0048] In a preferred embodiment, the support member and the shelf are manufactured from substantially rigid plastic materials.

[0049] The manner in which the shelf is mounted onto the shelf assembly is illustrated in FIGS. 13 & 14. The upper edge 130 of the shelf 106 is slid into the upper track 114 of the support member 104 and the lower edge is slid into the lower track 116. The upper edge 130 is prevented from being displaced from the track 114 in a vertical direction by the upper rib 114 a and from being displaced from the track in a lateral direction by the protruding shoulder 114 b. The same respective situation exists with respect to the lower edge. In this way, the shelf is firmly held in place on the support member. Only back and forth movement is permitted by which the shelf is slid into and out of the support member.

[0050] The above described embodiments are only representative examples of the invention and are not intended to limit the invention in any way. 

1. An expandable shelf comprising a male member and a female member which are slidingly engaged, each of said members having longitudinal and transverse axes and each being divided into at least two corresponding sections along the transverse axis, adjacent sections of said male member being separated by a groove parallel to the longitudinal axis, said male member comprising a row of spaced teeth extending from each section into the adjoining groove, the teeth of one section being aligned with the teeth of the adjacent section, each of two adjoining teeth defining a slot therebetween, and said female member having an upper wall and having an aperture in said upper wall positioned above said groove when said male and female members are engaged.
 2. A shelf according to claim 1 further comprising a rivet having a shank, said shank having a width, the width of said shank being substantially equivalent to the length of said slot of said male member, wherein when said male and female members are engaged, said rivet is inserted into the aperture of said female member occupying two aligned slots of adjoining sections of said male member, thereby fixing said members one to the other.
 3. A shelf according to claim 1 wherein each of said male and female members comprise three sections.
 4. A shelf according to claim 1 wherein all of the parts of said shelf are manufactured from substantially rigid plastic materials.
 5. A shelf assembly comprising: (a) two parallel upright members having sides facing each other; (b) a support member fixed to each of said upright members on their facing sides, said support members being positioned opposite each other; and (c) a shelf having lateral ends with edges adapted to slidingly engage said support members.
 6. A shelf assembly according to claim 5 wherein said shelf has an upper and a lower surface and each of said lateral ends have upper and lower edges which perpendicularly protrude above and below said upper and lower surfaces, respectively.
 7. A shelf assembly according to claim 5 wherein said support member has a longitudinal axis and comprises upper and lower tracks in parallel to said longitudinal axis to receive the edges of said shelf.
 8. A shelf assembly according to claim 7 wherein said tracks are horseshoe shaped so as to prevent said edges from escaping said tracks.
 9. A shelf assembly according to claim 5 wherein said support member is removable from said upright member.
 10. A shelf assembly according to claim 5 wherein said support member and said shelf are manufactured from substantially rigid plastic materials.
 11. A method for mounting a shelf onto a shelf assembly, said shelf assembly comprising: (a) two parallel upright members having sides facing each other; (b) a support member fixed to each of said upright members on their facing sides, said support members being opposite each other; and (c) a shelf having lateral ends with edges adapted to slidingly engage said support members; said method comprising sliding said shelf onto said support members between said upright members.
 12. A plastic shelf which has an upper and a lower surface and two lateral ends, each of said lateral ends having upper and lower edges which perpendicularly protrude above and below said upper and lower surfaces, respectively.
 13. A plastic support member for a shelf having lateral ends with edges, said support member having a longitudinal axis and comprising upper and lower tracks in parallel to said longitudinal axis to receive the edges of said shelf.
 14. A support member according to claim 13 wherein said tracks are horseshoe shaped so as to prevent said edges from escaping said tracks.
 15. A shelf assembly according to claim 5 wherein said shelf is an expandable shelf comprising a male member and a female member which are slidingly engaged, each of said members having longitudinal and transverse axes and each being divided into at least two corresponding sections along the transverse axis, adjacent sections of said male member being separated by a groove parallel to the longitudinal axis, said male member comprising a row of spaced teeth extending from each section into the adjoining groove, the teeth of one section being aligned with the teeth of the adjacent section, each of two adjoining teeth defining a slot therebetween, and said female member having an upper wall and having an aperture in said upper wall positioned above said groove when said male and female members are engaged. 